Round 3: Hahndorf V Vipers

Hahndorf V Vipers

Hahndorf suffered their first defeat of the SAASL Division 2 season when the visiting Viper side proved to have the finishing touch in the final 3-1 score.

The Magpies brought Kieran Guest in at the back with Dan Holland, also starting his first match of the season. Full backs Steve Noble and Ash Parr complemented the defensive line with Hahndorf shot stopper Nathaniel Brooke in goal. The midfield of Chris Sawers, Mike Lewington and Scott Schubert were busy early and matched up well against the Vipers, both teams pushing the ball around on the superb Pine Avenue surface.

A pretty even opening twenty minutes saw few genuine chances, forwards Tom Holland, Kayne Stubing and Jordan Webber unable to really threaten the Viper goalkeeper. The visitors had a couple of opportunities, one shot flashing over the bar and another going wide after a good build up. Lewington and Schubert battled hard and made the middle of the park a real contest with neither team dominating.

Hahndorf launched a quick counter attack and ran at the Vipers before Stubing was brought down on the edge of the penalty area. D.Holland drilled the resultant free kick around the defensive wall and into the far bottom corner of the net, a little piece of brilliance giving Hahndorf the lead.

The Vipers hit back with some determined possession and forced the Hahndorf defence to work hard, Guest in particular doing well. However, a solo run into the penalty area by a Viper forward gave them the equaliser. The visitors looked to double their tally soon after with a free just outside the penalty area, but Guest in the Magpie wall repelled the shot and the teams went into half time at one goal apiece.

Kicking down the slope, the Vipers took the attack up to Hahndorf and soon gained a free kick, the ball aimed to the middle of the penalty area. Brooke punched the ball away but it went straight to a Viper who hit a lobbed volley that Brooke did extremely well to tip over the bar as he scrambled back to his line.

More pressure from the Vipers drew Brooke into more action, a Guest tackle taking the sting out of the shot before Hahndorf brought on Shaun Smith for his first run of the year. The intensity lifted with both sides getting in a few willing tackles.

Hahndorf put together a great move that resulted in Stubing finding the net for the Magpies, but a late offside call saw the goal controversially disallowed. The Vipers made a substitution, bringing on a Ron Jeremy look-alike and the move paid immediate dividends, the substitute scoring despite what looked to be a legitimate offside appeal by the Hahndorf back line.

The Vipers made it 3-1 soon after, the hosts caught short at the back post and a Viper header cannoned off Brooke into the net. The Vipers looked rampant at this stage, only Parr’s clinical tackle and another good save from Brooke prevented further addition to the score.

Hahndorf brought on Rupert Lindon and Jesse Konstantinoff in the final ten minutes in an attempt to wrest back the initiative but the Magpies struggled to put together any cohesive moves. A few late opportunities fell Hahndorf’s way, Sawers going closest with a header just past the post, while Parr put in a good cross that went unmet by the Magpie forward line, a move that underlined Hahndorf’s lack of efficiency in the forward third of the pitch.


Best on the ground for Hahndorf were Kieran Guest, who had an impressive day in defence, with Mike Lewington and Scott Schubert working hard all day in the midfield.



Reserves

The Hahndorf Reserves endured a frustrating day against the visiting Vipers, squandering many chances and unable to recover from a 2-1 deficit.

Hahndorf started brightly, finding their passing rhythm from the first whistle with forwards Jesse Konstantinoff and Chris Hyde ably supported by Kyle Eglinton, Tom Stevens, Steve Ness and Rupert Lindon. A few early shots at goal kept the Vipers on alert while their forward line was kept in check by defenders Tim Staniford, Andy Craig and Stuart Thomas with Alex Robson particularly good form.

The Magpies pushed hard for the opening goal and should have scored when Hyde’s header hit the crossbar. Soon after, Konstantinoff lashed a shot against the post and Lindon worked a short corner into the penalty area and he too hit the post with a rasping shot.

Hahndorf had numerous corners but failed to capitalise, their profligacy producing a sting when the Vipers lumped the ball forward and Hahndorf failed to deal with it, the visitors opening the scoring with a lob over ‘keeper Mark McGrath.

Hahndorf continued to look for goal, several more corners offering the chance to equalise and eventually they broke through. Stevens collected his rebounding corner and picked out Hyde at the near post with a fine cross. Hyde nodded in from close range to mark his return to the club after a year hiatus and to restore parity just before half time.

Resuming the play after the break, the Magpies pushed for the leading goal, Lindon and Stevens finding plenty of the ball and giving some good service into the forward line. However, it was the Vipers who struck, catching the Hahndorf defence napping with a quick free kick chipped over the back line and the Viper forward shooting the ball past the exposed Magpie custodian.

Hahndorf fought back, driving at the Vipers defence but their shots were astray and despite some fine build up play, the Magpies had trouble converting their chances. With the hosts pushing forward at every opportunity, the Vipers found space to create a few chances but neither side was able to trouble the scoreboard.

With a the two teams playing a fairly even second half, Hahndorf lifted their intensity in the last fifteen minutes, pinning the Vipers back in their half for long periods. Lindon was in the thick of the action and sent fierce shot in towards goal, but the goal-bound ball struck Hyde as he tried to evade the shot and it just looped past the post. The play summed up the Magpies afternoon, the team creating some fine football but unable to capitalise with a score.

Man of the Match was Alex Robson, a rock in defence, with sterling contributions from Tom Stevens and Rupert Lindon.

Hahndorf has the Easter break off to get some injured and returning players back to fitness before an away match against the Comets, while the Super Cs host Flinders University in their Division 6 clash.